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Contributed by: ACU Athletic Media Relations
ABILENE - What looked to be a routine victory for ACU baseball turned into an emergency save situation in the ninth as UT Rio Grande Valley loaded the bases down four runs and with nobody out. But junior right-hander Brandon Lambright came on to get the save he and his team needed to escape Crutcher Scott Field Sunday with a 6-5 win and a four-game sweep of the Vaqueros.
The Wildcats entered the final frame ahead 6-2 and had blanked the Vaqueros in six of the previous eight innings; however, their No. 7 and 8 hitters worked consecutive walks off reliever Caleb Dougherty to begin the ninth and then Caden Rosholt loaded the bags with a single through the right side.
ACU called in Lambright from of the bullpen and after giving up another ground-ball single, he retired the next three batters in order and left the game-tying run stranded at third base.
Lambright's second save of the season made a deserving winner out of sophomore Drew Hanson, who scattered three hits over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts.
Hanson stared the game in a 1-0 hole after surrendering a solo home run to Cole Loncar with two outs in the fourth. Afterward he allowed only four additional base runners and struck out two to end the fifth inning with runners at first and second base.
ACU's offense provided Hanson with all six runs between the fourth and fifth innings. The Wildcats tied the score at 1-1 on a one-out Braxton Wilks' RBI single that scored Hunter Markwardt, and then Wilks came home on a hit by designated hitter Dalton DeVries.
The Wildcats sent eight men to the plate in their four-run fifth and were helped along the basepaths by a passed ball, stolen base, fielding error and balk. After leadoff hitter Aaron Draper scored on a balk by starter Pablo Ortiz, Wilks delivered his second RBI of the game with a double to the right-center gap.
David Ruot singled off reliever Matt Rigby to drive in Wilks and scored on the next play after right fielder Manny Loredo dropped a fly ball off the bat of DeVries.
UT Rio Grande Valley used four relievers after Rigby who combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of work, allowing three hits and two walks. ACU threatened to score again in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out but Zach Martinez induced an inning-ending 6-3 double play.
Colin Dudley pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Hanson, and in the eighth, Zach Kornely got a ground ball to bail out Bryce Welborn, who had just given up a walk and a RBI single to Scott Mercer that cut ACU's lead to 6-2.
Wilks and Ruot went a combined 5-for-8 with three runs and three RBI from the No. 4 and 5 spots, while multi-hit games for the Vaqueros were registered by Mercer and Rosholt.
The Wildcats return to action Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game at Oklahoma. Next weekend they'll play host to Northeastern for a four-game series starting Friday at 4 p.m.
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ABILENE - What looked to be a routine victory for ACU baseball turned into an emergency save situation in the ninth as UT Rio Grande Valley loaded the bases down four runs and with nobody out. But junior right-hander Brandon Lambright came on to get the save he and his team needed to escape Crutcher Scott Field Sunday with a 6-5 win and a four-game sweep of the Vaqueros.
The Wildcats entered the final frame ahead 6-2 and had blanked the Vaqueros in six of the previous eight innings; however, their No. 7 and 8 hitters worked consecutive walks off reliever Caleb Dougherty to begin the ninth and then Caden Rosholt loaded the bags with a single through the right side.
ACU called in Lambright from of the bullpen and after giving up another ground-ball single, he retired the next three batters in order and left the game-tying run stranded at third base.
Lambright's second save of the season made a deserving winner out of sophomore Drew Hanson, who scattered three hits over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts.
Hanson stared the game in a 1-0 hole after surrendering a solo home run to Cole Loncar with two outs in the fourth. Afterward he allowed only four additional base runners and struck out two to end the fifth inning with runners at first and second base.
ACU's offense provided Hanson with all six runs between the fourth and fifth innings. The Wildcats tied the score at 1-1 on a one-out Braxton Wilks' RBI single that scored Hunter Markwardt, and then Wilks came home on a hit by designated hitter Dalton DeVries.
The Wildcats sent eight men to the plate in their four-run fifth and were helped along the basepaths by a passed ball, stolen base, fielding error and balk. After leadoff hitter Aaron Draper scored on a balk by starter Pablo Ortiz, Wilks delivered his second RBI of the game with a double to the right-center gap.
David Ruot singled off reliever Matt Rigby to drive in Wilks and scored on the next play after right fielder Manny Loredo dropped a fly ball off the bat of DeVries.
UT Rio Grande Valley used four relievers after Rigby who combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of work, allowing three hits and two walks. ACU threatened to score again in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out but Zach Martinez induced an inning-ending 6-3 double play.
Colin Dudley pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Hanson, and in the eighth, Zach Kornely got a ground ball to bail out Bryce Welborn, who had just given up a walk and a RBI single to Scott Mercer that cut ACU's lead to 6-2.
Wilks and Ruot went a combined 5-for-8 with three runs and three RBI from the No. 4 and 5 spots, while multi-hit games for the Vaqueros were registered by Mercer and Rosholt.
The Wildcats return to action Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game at Oklahoma. Next weekend they'll play host to Northeastern for a four-game series starting Friday at 4 p.m.
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